The Models Of Contextual Theology Essay

Though McGrath did do a very good job at giving us insight on the historical background of the topics and also educated us in a very easy, elementary level on the theology, he lacked personal touch. In this I’m talking about some personal stories or experiences from his life that has helped him engage these theological terms and ideas. It was very “theological” in its approach, however the simple addition of some personal

The immediate task at hand is to provide a theological framework that encompasses the scope of the Apostle Paul and his

This book calls the church to rethink and modify its practices, by providing a middle path between the emerging church and the conservative that aims to benefit all. There are major shift happening in the Western Church that has people talking. The problem is that churches fail to follow a mission-centered approach. Chester and Timmis have found that in order to refocus the churches

Faith operates in a unique way by providing the average, the noble, or the distasteful with a means to understand the world we inhabit. However, our worldly experiences also operate as a means to understanding the complexities of our faith. For St. Augustine, faith provides more questions than answers, but consequently leads to his life as a bishop and eventually sainthood. For some, however, the Bible provides the answers to all the questions that go unanswered by common sense. In St. Augustine’s Confessions, Augustine is able to further understand himself and his faith in Christ by reflecting on anecdotes of his past. Conversely, the Bible’s use of etiology provides spiritual justification for physical realities.

In the book, “Announcing the Reign of God,” Bishop Mortimer Arias’, provides illustrations for Christian evangelism based on the teachings of Jesus. Which is grounded in the ministry of Christ and affirmed by evidence and experiences contributed from a diverse group of witnesses. Arias’, main point of view, analyzes the Kingdom of God as the governing authority for the proclamation of the gospel in word and deed. He explores biblical sources, particularly the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke with the intent to examine Jesus ' evangelization. The titles for the readings appraises the Kingdom of God’s: Good News, Presence, Imminence, In-Breaking, Eclipse, Announcing as Gift, Announcing as Hope, and Announcing as Challenge End of the Eclipse? Most importantly, Aries probes how we should answer the questions of: “What it means to be evangelical?” Also, “What would ‘kingdom evangelization’ look like?”

One of the ongoing struggles for the church and Christianity is with culture. Questions have always surfaced about where we should stand on issues or whether it is permissible to isolate ourselves in all areas of life. Shaping A Christian Worldview suggests that hiding is not the preferred option, rather it is our duty to transform our modern culture.

In his new book Becoming the Gospel Michael Gorman provides an interesting look at the life and letters of the apostle Paul. Gorman wants his readers to consider that more than knowing the gospel and its power to save, Paul want his recipients of his letters to live out the gospel in their lives. Thus Gorman’s central argument in this book is that “Paul wanted the communities he addressed…to become the gospel, and in so doing to participate in the very life and mission of God” (Gorman 2). Gorman explores this idea by taking the reader through a look at the letters of Paul using a “missio Dei” lens, to provide a new view of what Paul is teaching to these early Christian communities.

Van Gelder explains that the gospel frees the church to live in a posture of vulnerability within the world such that this vulnerability often leads the church to the margin.” The church posture was created for the sake of the world. Therefore, the purpose of the church is and has been shaped to carry out God’s mission.

It is not good enough for Christian thought to teach about religious things or even to prescribe them; theology could do all this and still be thinking about them with a mind that has not yet been changed by Christ’s dying and rising. It is not so much thinking about theological topics that really constitutes theology, for distinguishable from this is the means by which the theological mind reflects.

As he addresses extensively the subject of evangelism, it appears that Fay is very confident that is book is well needed due to the “sin of silence” that has gripped the Church and the body of Christ, in general. He has a powerful style that uses examples from his personal life and experiences to shows his reader that it is easy to share the Gospel. He also uses witnessing examples from the lives of various Christians to show the readers that they too can share the gospel without fear. He advocates a simple and non-confrontational approach to evangelism and states that God can use even imperfect attempts to share the Gospel. What God cannot use is the Christian’s silence about the Gospel.

Context refers to the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement or idea. Particularly in speeches, context can influence the way it’s written, presented and received, it helps to put things into perspective and understand why and how a certain thing was constructed. When Obama won the 2008 presidential elections he delivered a victory speech which was heavily influenced by the context it was produced in. Obama’s speech was written and presented at around the same time, when the Iraq War and the Global Financial Crisis were going on, additionally, he was also the first black president of the United States and had personal context that was reflected in his speech. Likewise, context affected Ronald Reagan when he delivered his speech after the space shuttle disaster, a tragedy in American history. To summarise the event, they had started a teacher’s in space program in which teachers had the opportunity to go on a mission with some astronauts, a woman won the competition and got this opportunity. Unfortunately, 73 seconds in the air, the shuttle exploded, killing the teacher and the other six astronauts. Very soon after this happened, Reagan, who was president at the time, had to address the situation. He made a speech, which was greatly impacted not only by the catastrophic event and the Teachers in Space Program but also by Reagan’s past experiences in WW2 and the Cold War.

In this composition, we will talk about Gospel Essentials, it will focus on the defining Christian worldview of God In addition we will explore viewpoints of humanity, Jesus, restoration and study of Christianity. We will conclude with a review of my reflection on the similarities between the Catholic and Christian worldview. The Christian worldview, unlike others, is not only completely clear but consistent when breaking down theological questions such as what is our purpose? Who or what created our universe? Is there an afterlife?

Lecture 19, aptly titled ‘Other Characteristics’, deals with a wide variety of subject matter, including institutional religion, prayer and the relationship between religion and the subconscious. In terms of organized religion, James states that room must be given for personal religious experience, as it is insufficient to provide adequate converts on its own. Prayer is deemed a fundamental aspect of practice utilised by those throughout the centuries who have had direct religious experiences. In summarizing his series in the final lecture, James expressed the need for toleration of religious diversity and allowance for individuals to pursue their course: ‘some men have the completer experience and the higher vocation, here just as in the social world; but for each man to stay in his own experience, whate’er it be, and for others to tolerate him there, is surely best’. This is necessary because the intellectual underpinning is that there is something wrong with us and that this can be rectified by ‘making the proper connection with the higher powers’. For this reason, a higher value must be given to experience and feeling over thought. In terms of trying to make sense of how this union with God takes place in a scientific context, James argues that the subconscious serves as a conduit through which ‘the further limits of our being plunge, it seems to me, into an altogether other dimension of existence from the sensible and merely “understandable” world’. For James, religious experiences are a reality although they cannot be satisfactorily explained in wholly philosophical or scientific terms: ‘The only thing that it unequivocally testifies to is that we can experience union with something larger than ourselves and in that union find our greatest

What is theology? What does it explain if anything? According to the encyclopedia, it is related to the Greek Religion. In Christianity, the systematic study of the nature of God and God's relationship with humanity and with the world. Although other religions may be said to have theologies, this is a matter of controversy within, for instance, Judaism , which holds that God is unknowable. This article will therefore confine itself to Christian theology. The development of theology in Christendom arose from the need for educated Christians of the ancient world to express their ideas in terminology familiar in current thought. Hence arose the close relation of Christian theology with Greek philosophy formulated by the Greek and Latin

Furthermore, it is vitally crucial for the church leadership to clearly articulate its missional vision, which is to be embraced by the rest of the church’s community. The process of spiritual transformation starts from the invitation and continues through engagement and discipleship. This transformational process embodies the missional vision and the language for 'right now ' and 'here '. Surely, the church’s vision ought to be aligned with the missional attributes of the gospel itself, which are 'the good news is for everyone ' and 'belonging before believing '. Our witness should take place amidst relationship and listening. One principle that I consider to be exceptionally useful in my community is St. Patrick’s idea of Celtic Evangelism: establish community, engage in conversation, and invite commitment (2009, 101).